Donaldsonville Man Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter in Assumption

Wednesday

Apr 5, 2017 at 10:09 AM

On April 4, Matthew Jordan III of Donaldsonville, 28, pled guilty to the charge of Manslaughter following the 2014 shooting death of then 33 year old Franky Joseph of Donaldsonville. Jordan was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Thomas Daigle, and presiding over this matter was the Honorable Judge Jessie LeBlanc. This guilty plea was the result of a plea agreement with prosecutors.

On Sept. 14, 2014, shortly after midnight, Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to the Alexis Sports Bar on La. 308 in Paincourtville following reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, responding deputies located the victim, Franky Joseph, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the abdomen. Joseph was transported to the Assumption Community Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased.

Investigators determined that both Jordan and Joseph were at the Alexis Sports Bar when the two became engaged in a physical altercation. Both subjects were separated by private security guards, and were both instructed to leave. Shortly after, Jordan returned from the area where his vehicle was parked with a .40 Caliber Ruger handgun in his possession. Jordan and Joseph then re-engaged in a secondary physical altercation which resulted in a struggle over the gun. During the struggle, a single gunshot was fired into the abdomen of Joseph. Following the shooting, Jordan fled the scene.

Several hours later, during the morning of Sept. 14, 2014, Matthew Jordan III was brought to the Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office Detective’s Division by family members where he turned over the firearm used in the shooting and confessed to shooting Joseph. Jordan was subsequently booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center.

As per the plea agreement with prosecutors, Judge LeBlanc ordered that sentencing be deferred to a later date pending a Pre-Sentence Investigation. Jordan is facing up to 40 years in state prison. Sentencing is tentatively scheduled for July 5, 2017.